Special status bumble bees such as the Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis) are in dire need of research to document presence, habitat requirements, as well as basic life history information. Importantly, the need for less invasive and non-lethal research techniques to study these and other sensitive invertebrate species is also high. This project, conducted in collaboration with University of Oregon and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), used both artificial intelligence and traditional field work to conduct a mark-recapture analysis of two species of special concern (B. occidentalis, B. caliginosus) as well as common bumble bee species, to better understand these bees’ floral resource use, and to better understand home ranges and movement. This project just completed its first year, which was focused on developing protocols and perfecting artificial intelligence equipment to monitor hand-captured and marked individuals. In addition to documenting an overall incredible diversity of bumble bee species and an abundance of special-status bees, this project has made significant improvements to field equipment for non-lethally monitoring bumble bees. This work was also conducted on a licensed cannabis farm in Humboldt County, California, highlighting the importance of considering these working landscapes for conservation.

Jackee is the Executive Director of Cannabis for Conservation, a nonprofit establishing environmental conservation and research programs in cannabis-impacted landscapes, and liaising with regulatory agencies and rural landowners around the common value of conservation. She has 13 years of experience in applied conservation biology for a variety of northern CA and western species, as well as training for assessing and handling special status species, such as mesocarnivores, tortoises, shorebirds, and marine mammals.